Headgear for supporting telephone instruments



March 20, 1934. R BARCLAY 1,951,332

HEADGEAR FOR SUPPORTING TELEPHONE INSTRUMENTS Filed Sept. 12, 1931 INVENTOR Roberi H. Barclay M We JM ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 20, 1934,

HEADGEAR FOR SUPPORTING TELEPHONE INSTRUMENTS Robert H. Barclay, New York, N. Y. Application September 12, 1931, Serial No. 562,477

1 Claims.

My invention relates to means for supporting a telephone instrument from the head in convenient relation to the ear and mouth, and the same has for its object to provide a simple, ellig cient and comfortable device which may be readily placed on the head and removed therefrom, and which firmly engages the head so as to retain the instrument in position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a in device of the character specified in which the head engaging portion thereof is constructed to more firmly engage the head when the weight of the telephone instrument is imposed thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a w device of the character specified in which portions thereof engage the instrument at the ends and retain the same in ar angular position in convenient relation to the ear and mouth.

Another object of the invention is to provide go a device of the character specified in which the head engaging portion thereof may be folded back out of the way when the instrument with the device attached thereto is on the telephone hook.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective showing the device in operative position'on the head;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawing the device comprises a head engaging member 10 preferably constructed of spring wire 12 covered with a yieldable ,5 material 14, such as rubber, rubber composition, fabric, or the likeso as not to hurt the head by contact with the wire. The yieldable covering 14 is preferably more or less 'fiat relative to the shape of the wire so that the device is less liable to slip while on the head. The member 10, which I is formed from a single piece of wire, is bent substantially into the form of a V, the two leg portions 16 and 18 thereof being arcuate in shape and having a return-bend portion at 20. The member 10 as thus constructed. yieldably engages the head to conform to the shape thereof, the legs 16 and 18 being individually yieldable and yieldable relative to each other.

Members 22 and 24 are provided for securing the telephone instrument A to the device, the instrument being of the combined transmitter and receiver type commonly known as the French telephone. The members 22 and 24 are likewise each preferably composed of a single 66 piece of spring wire. The member 22 is pivotally connected at 26 to the end of the portion 16 and terminates in a flexible loop 28 having a hook 30 rendering the loop detachable. The member 24 is pivotally connected at 32 to the end of the portion 18 and is likewise provided with a flexible go loop 34 having a hook 36 to render the loop detachable, the member 24 having a shorter shank than the member 22. The connections 26 and 32 are preferably loose, providing universal couplings or joints, to allow movement of the memo bers 22 and 24 in various directions relative to each other, and providing a common axis allowing the head piece 10 to be folded back over the instrument A when the latter is on the telephone hook with the device of the present invention attached. The loop portions 28 and 34 are preferably covered with relatively flat yieldable material 38, similar to covering 14, to prevent the same from slipping when placed about the instrument.

As shown at Fig. 1 the loop 28 of the relatively long member 22 is adapted to be hooked about the instrument A contiguous to the speaking end thereof and the loop 34 of the shorter member 24 is adapted to be hooked about the instrument contiguous to the hearing end thereof.

When the device is placed on the head as shown, the instrument A is supported or suspended at such an inclination that the speaking end thereof is near the mouth and the hearing end thereof is over the ear, thereby rendering the handsfree for other work, such as writing, etc.

In my invention the weight of the instrument A is transmitted to the head largely at the points 20, 40 and 42 so that the member 10 more firmly grips the head to retain the phone in position.

The use of spring wire enables the device to be manufactured at low cost, three pieces of wire or like material being required.

The device yieldably engages the head without slipping, and the instrument A may be readi- 1y connected thereto and disconnected, if necessary, by manipulation of the flexible loops 28 and 34. The instrument A can be placed on the telephone hook without removing the device, and, when so located, the head portion 10 can be readily swung over out of the way because of the pivotal connections 26 and 32.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A device of the character described comprising head engaging means, and depending members for the attachment of a telephone instrument pivotally connected to said head engaging means. for movement relative to each other, the .1

pivotal connections having a common axis allowing the head engaging means to be folded thereabout over .the teLphone instrument when not in use.

2. A device of the character described comprising head engaging means, and depending members having universal connections at the upper ends thereof with said head engaging means, and including integral lower portions forming loops terminating in hooks for the attachment of a telephone instrument.

3. A device of the character described comprising head engaging means, and depending members for the attachment of a telephone instrument universally connected at the upper ends thereof to said head engaging means to allow attachment of the instrument and positioning thereof, and to allow the head engaging means to be folded over out of the way when not in use.

4. A device of the character describedcomprising a head engaging member including arcuate portions having an intermediate return bend and free ends, and members pivotally depending from said free ends and including means for supporting a telephone instrument.

5. A device of the character described comprising a resilient head engaging member includ-v ing arcuate portions having an intermediate return bend and free ends, said portions being yieldable individually and relative to each other, and plural means independently connected to the free ends of said arcuate portions for supporting a telephone instrument at spaced points.

6. A device of the character described comprising a head engaging member including arcuate portions having an intermediate return bend and free ends, said arcuate portions being free to yield individually and relative to each other, and members independently pivoted to said free ends and having means at the ends thereof for supporting a telephone instrument, the forward of said members being longer than the other, whereby to support the instrument at an inclination in operative relation to the mouth and ear.

7. A device of the character described comprising a head engaging member including arcuate portions having an intermediate return bend and free ends, and members pivotally depending from said free ends for movement independent of each other, the forward of said depending members being longer than the other, and means at the lower ends of said depending members for engaging a telephone instrument contiguous to the speaking and hearing ends thereof and supporting the same'at an inclination in operative relation to the mouth and ear.

ROBERT H. BARCLAY. 

